SafeHouse
by flintyminty25
Summary: When Team Minato gets a rare chance to spend the weekend in Port City, it seems like the perfect time for everyone to relax and have a good time. But not everyone is excited. Kakashi comes to terms with his trust issues and his teammates are there for him
1. Chapter 1

SafeHouse

...

It was Minato's kind of day. Sunny, the air baking hot, and not a wisp of cloud marring the cheery blue of the sky hanging bright and distant above the world.

Extreme weather never seemed to bother him like everyone else. In fact, the hotter the better. He loved the sensation of the sun beating down on him, the thin dryness of parched air filling his lungs, and the cool tickle of sweat beading on the back of his neck. There was nothing better.

But, if the miserable moans that had been sounding behind him for the last couple of hours were anything to judge by... not everyone felt the same way.

Minato pivoted on his heel and peered over his shoulder at the three twelve-year-olds trailing along wearily in his wake.

"What's the matter, guys?" he frowned, a calculated amount of oblivious concern coloring his voice, "Aren't you happy to have finished our mission?"

The three identical looks of exhausted, almost tearful disbelief that he received at this brought an idiotic, toothy grin to his face. Three kids having just traversed miles of wild forest terrain-mud and sweat scrubbed over their skin and clothes, dark rings shadowing their glossy eyes, their small feet stumbling over each other in fatigue-should _not _have looked so adorable.

"What are you talking about, sensei?" Obito, always the first to lose his cool, yelled weakly, "This sucks!"

Minato jerked to a stop, swiveling around to face the trio with what he hoped was a mildly startled expression.

"What makes you say that?" As if he wasn't fully aware that Team Minato had just finished the most demanding diplomacy mission that the entirety of Tea Country had ever seen.

Apparently the innocent lilt to his voice was just a little too much for Obito. The young Uchiha stumbled to a standstill, hands gripping the straps of his pack tightly, and just stared up at him with faintly watering eyes and a wobbling lower lip. _Are you serious?_ his expression screamed at him.

"We're... we're just all feeling a little tired sensei." Rin took over the conversation, her gentle voice sounding unusually weak and breathless. Minato frowned in genuine concern as he saw her sway slightly on her feet.

Maybe he had pushed them too hard this time? It was always hard for him to tell when they had reached their limit as a group-Obito would dissolve into tears at the smallest frustration and Kakashi would stay silent for miles before any whimper of pain slipped out.

Now, one would think that the most logical course of action would be to just make decisions based on the reactions of the remaining female member of their team. But, Minato had quickly learned that relying on Rin's behavior to determine the general health of the entire team was a bad idea. He suspected it might have something to do with the looming shadow of approaching puberty, but the young girl was the definition of inconsistent. Minato had watched her dislodge blood-slicked shurikan from her own shoulder with calm, scientific dexterity and collapse into sniffling tears over the mud spattering her clothes all in the same day. Kushina had whacked him in the head and called him an emotionally obtuse imbecile, which was a little hurtful really but- the point was Minato was always on pins and needles when it came to diagnosing the well-being of his team.

There was a muffled thump as Kakashi promptly fell to his bottom in the middle of the side-walk.

"K-Kakashi-kun!" Minato stumbled forward in shock, running his hands worriedly over the boy's slouched frame, searching for any sign of injury, "What's wrong, does something hurt?"

Sharp concern and a flare of misguided anger twisted in Minato's chest.

For the young Hatake to simply drop like that, Minato knew that he must be in excruciating pain. Kakashi had such a tight reign over his reactions that, whenever his rigid control broke, it must be pretty bad. When it came to Kakashi, Minato had to react to a small moan of pain the same way as he normally would a shriek of agony. The Yellow Flash dreaded the day when the boy's Hatake pride would hide away an injury that was really critical. But, no matter how many times he reprimanded him, it had no effect on the boy.

Kakashi had convinced himself that admitting to an injury was synonymous with admitting weakness.

And, as much as Kakashi respected him, the little Hatake just couldn't find it in him to believe Minato when he told him that he didn't need to hide his injuries. That nobody would think any less of him. Kakashi simply refused to trust him.

Obito and Rin crowded nervously around their fallen teammate, watching as Minato crouched and laid a firm hand on Kakashi's slumped shoulder.

"Hey, c'mon," Minato kept his face neutral, but his blue eyes ran anxiously over the child, "Is something wrong Kakashi-kun?"

"Huh." Kakashi's heavy-lidded gray eyes lifted slowly to his own in an expression of mild surprise, "I thought we were taking a break, so..."

_Taking a..._

"Oh!" Minato rocked back on his heels, barking out a sharp laugh of startled relief, "Is that it?" _Trust Kakashi to almost give me a heart-attack _after_ the mission is over._

Minato laughed again, sounding just a tad hysterical. Wow, maybe this mission had taken more out of all of them then he had thought?

They all looked blankly back at him, their weary stares faintly accusatory in their dullness. Minato winced.

"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and rose back into a standing position, "Yeah. I'm sure a little break would be fine. We did finish our mission early after all. It's not like we need to get back to Konoha this... second..."

Minato trailed off as his blue eyes caught on the overhanging sign of the shop beside them.

_KATSU'S SURFSHOP: Get Your Swimsuits, Souvenirs, and Sandals Here!_

His three students suddenly became aware of the steady brightening of his stunned expression. They shared wary glances with one another.

"Sensei?" Rin asked timidly.

"I've just had the greatest idea..." Minato breathed, turneing to look at them with wide blue eyes, an excited grin growing on his face.

"No." Kakashi said in reflexive panic, "No."

"Why didn't I think of this before!" Minato looked up at the sky, hitting the palm of his hand against his forehead in joyful disbelief, "This is perfect!"

"Uh," Obito shifted his feet nervously, "What's perfect, sensei?"

Rin shot the Uchiha a stern look as if to say, _don't encourage him_!

"The beach!" he whipped around from where he'd been pacing excitedly, throwing his arms out at them as if revealing a fantastic gift. They all flinched.

"The... beach?"

"The beach!" he yelled, catching a few stares from random passer-by, "Guys think about it. We had a two-week quota to complete this mission. We did a good job and finished a couple days early. Now we're in Port City-Port City!"

"Rin, stop him." Kakashi whined.

"Sensei-" she began, raising her hands in a universal calming gesture.

"Look! We can get all our beach stuff right here!" he exclaimed, deaf to his student's feeble protests, "Sun-tan lotion, beach towels, goggles-"

"Goggles?" Obito perked up.

"Goggles!" Minato crowed, hugging the Uchiha suddenly to his side, pointing at the sign in the shop window next to them. Rin blinked, curiosity getting the better of her, and stumbled over to press her face against the glass as well.

"Oh look, Kakashi-kun!" she cast a bright glance over her shoulder at the sullen boy, bobbing excitedly on her heels, "We could make a sand-castle! They have shovels and buckets."

Kakashi pulled himself cautiously to his feet and wandered over to peer through the window with the rest of his team. Minato watched, a pleased smile softening his face as the reserved boy joined their group.

Kakashi's gray eyes slanted with uncertainty, but Minato saw a faint glow of longing in the boy's hesitant gaze. It was clear to the jounin that the child wanted to go, but was struggling with the idea. This didn't really surprise him-Kakashi had been rejecting everything that was fun and childish for almost his entire twelve-year-old life.

When winning back the honor to one's disgraced family name and fulfilling one's duty became the most important thing in a person's life, a whole lot took the backseat.

Well, Minato wasn't about to let any of his students convince themselves that it was their duty to miss out on a potential three days of memory-making and well-deserved fun!

So, when Kakashi opened his mouth to protest, turning his head towards Minato even as his eyes remained fixedly glued to the inside of the store, Minato cut him off.

"Alright! It's decided! We'll spend the next three days enjoying Port City, have the time of our lives, and then we'll head back to Konoha with a day to spare."

"Really?" Obito grinned up at him, his grimy hands still pressed up against the glass.

"Yes, really!" Minato laughed at the thrilled twinkle in the Uchiha's dark eyes, "Now go in there and buy everything you need for the beach. I'm going to go check us in at that hotel down the road, and then I'll be back to join you."

"Thank you, sensei!" Rin buried her head in his stomach, knocking the air out of him slightly, and wrapped her arms around his waist in a fierce hug. Minato chuckled.

He knew this was a good idea!

The three of them shuffled in through the shop door, a bell on a string clanging lightly above them as they filed in. Minato smiled contentedly to himself and watched them as they began to wander around the store. Obito and Kakashi squabbled childishly as they sorted through a pile of swim-trunks, and Rin flitted over to the sunglasses rack, smiling softly.

If only he could see them like this always. Happy, free of all expectations and obligations... simply being children.

As their sensei, it was his job to give them a lot of things. Guidance and instruction were certainly a large part of it, but Minato knew that a good teacher-like his own sensei, Jiraiya-tried to give their pupils experiences that would shape them for the rest of their lives.

... Although, now that he thought back on it, Jiraiya's idea of a fulfilling life experience had often involved a cringe-worthy amount of alcohol and a room full of grabby, scantily-clad women. Minato could still vividly recall the day after his seventeenth birthday when he had awoken in his neighbor's flowerbed wearing nothing but a paper-crown and a colorful assortment of lip-stick kisses, clutching an uprooted street-sign tightly to his chest. His sensei had laughed uproariously when he angrily told the older man of his horrific situation a couple days later.

But, as betrayed and angry as he had felt towards his teacher, Minato knew that Jiraiya had just been trying to share with him what he considered to be one of the best parts of life. It's the thought that counts right?

So, while a couple of days spent leisurely on the beach weren't exactly the definition of a pivotal life-altering experience... it would give his team a chance to remember themselves and revel in the simplicity of their fleeting childhood.

And really, when we would they ever get another opportunity like this?

Children grew up fast during war.

With that thought in mind, Minato turned on his heel and strolled through the crowd towards the white-washed hotel a couple shops down. His hands curled loosely around the straps of his backpack and he grinned up at the blinding, hot sun. There really was nothing better.

...

* * *

><p><em>Hey there!<em>

_This is just a little something for the summer season :) Hopefully you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Also, just to be clear, I don't intend for this to be a oneshot-but god knows it shouldn't be a bajillion-chapter-long story like Nostalgia either haha. Feel free to review and tell me what you think._

_Thanks for reading!_

_~Flinty_


	2. Chapter 2

SafeHouse

...

"Don't worry, Kakashi-kun, I'm sure we'll find a good swimsuit for you!"

"It's fine, Rin, really. I don't-"

"HaHa! Look at this one! You'll look like such an albino if you wear this black one!"

"Obito! That's not very nice-ooh! Maybe this sunset red will give you some color. What do you think, Kakashi-kun?" she held up the clothes hanger excitedly.

"What-that's_ pink_!" Kakashi stammered.

He peered uncertainly into Rin's warm brown eyes, trying to read her gaze for any sign that she was joking.

This had all started when Kakashi had emerged from the curtained dressing-stall, holding onto a pair of inoffensive navy blue swim-trunks.

Rin's face had fallen in poorly-disguised disappointment and Obito had, quite unexpectedly, launched into a passionate diatribe that involved a lot of wild gesticulation and had drawn more than a few curious stares from the other shoppers.

Apparently, Obito was suffering from a wide variety of symptoms (ranging from nausea to the bleeding of his optic orifices) and it was all due to Kakashi's inconsiderate fondness for any piece of clothing that was navy blue.

Kakashi thought that _idiocy _was the obvious diagnosis for Obito's misfortune.

"Hold on, hold on," Obito breathed, positively delirious with amusement, "I've really found the _perfect _swimsuit for Kakashi this time, guys."

Obito removed the clothes hanger from behind his back, revealing a skimpy scrap of purple clothing with a gleeful flourish.

"Those..." Kakashi stiffened in mortification, "Are those panties?"

_Idiot... he's an idiot, _Kakashi thought weakly, feeling dizzy and hot.

Obito erupted in a blast of explosive laughter, curling around his stomach and wiping tearfully at his eyes. Rin's cheeks flushed and her mouth twisted in a barely contained grin, her shoulders shaking with tightly restrained laughter. Kakashi's ears burned.

He bristled and opened his mouth to say something-but was interrupted by a heavy hand falling on his shoulder.

"Of course they're not panties, Kakashi-kun." Minato's gentle tenor fell over the three of them, issuing a thin layer of calm over the situation, "Haven't you ever seen a speedo before?"

No. Kakashi had never even seen a swimsuit before they had decided to walk into this stupid store.

"Hmph." the white-haired boy let his eyes fall disinterestedly to a stack of beach-themed t-shirts on a stand next to his left elbow. Why couldn't they all just go home?

Minato must have picked up on Kakashi's less-than-excited train of thought because he chuckled and plopped his hand onto the boy's fluffy mess of white hair, grinning.

"Alright guys, hurry up and buy everything you need, then meet me out in the front of the store." he paused, looking at his watch contemplatively, "If we hurry, we could drop everything off at the hotel, pick up some sandwiches, and spend the rest of the day on the beach!"

"Alright!" Obito cheered, pumping his fist into the air, grinning from ear to ear. Rin let out an excited giggle and the both of them hurried over towards the cash register, their respective purchases swinging happily at their sides. Kakashi watched them go, feeling an uncomfortable tightness in the back of his throat.

"Is there something you wanted to say, Kakashi-kun?" his sensei's voice startled him, reminding him that he wasn't alone, "Everything okay?"

There was a long beat of silence. Kakashi felt his eyes drag themselves from the t-shirts up to Minato's face. His blue eyes were gentle and bright, looking down at him with a warmth that could only be fondness.

Kakashi nearly told him then.

But, as the boy's silence continued, the fine brows of Minato's face lowered and his eyes narrowed into an expression of concern that was almost stinging in it's perceptiveness.

So, feeling caught in the acuteness of his sensei's gaze, Kakashi turned his face away, shrugging with one shoulder.

"I was just wondering if I should get some new sandals..." he trailed off, feeling wretched. Why couldn't he tell him?

Minato looked at him for a moment more, his expression inscrutable. And then a pleased smile smoothed over his face, breaking the tension that Kakashi hadn't even realized was there.

"You can buy whatever you want. This is our time to enjoy ourselves and have some fun together."

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

"Ah! Obito!" Rin giggled, lifting her arms to shield her grinning face from the boy's playful splashing, "It's cold!"

The Uchiha smiled mischievously, his dark eyes shining with delight at drawing an excited sound out of the normally quiet-spoken girl.

"Well, if you don't want me to splash you then you have to get all the way in!" he taunted cheerfully. But, even as he spoke, his arms lowered back into the gently swelling waves and he stopped splashing her, opting to flop onto his back and let the waves roll under his body.

Minato watched, wading into the rumbling waves at a slower pace, as his students returned to the ocean, having just finished a hasty dinner of bottled water and packaged sandwiches on the sand. Their shrieks of plaintive joy intermingled with the lulling _shhh _of water and foam sliding smoothly over the pebbly sand. A hungry gull squawked forlornly as it sailed over his head and looped back to circle back over the beach in search for tasty leftovers.

Well, two of his students.

Two of his students were out there; crashing through the white surf, diving for the seashells being swept back and forth against the ocean floor, squealing and stomping with joy like a pair of wild-children.

He came to a stop, the cool water tickling over the fine hairs on his calves and shins as it lapped at his legs, and twisted his neck to look back at the beach.

Kakashi sat, small and hunched on the white sand, still wearing his masked t-shirt even though he'd traded his standard-issue pants for some navy-blue swim-trunks. Minato watched as the boy curled his hand around a fistful of the tiny grains and lifted it up before his face, only to let it spill listlessly through his fingers back to the powdery sand below.

Not once during the entire two hours that they had spent here had Kakashi come down to join them in the water.

Minato's brows dipped, and he frowned slightly, still watching the boy. Why wasn't he playing?

Kakashi hardly looked like he was enjoying himself. With one hand cupping his cheek, the other brushing over the sand in front of him, his gray eyes heavy-lidded and dull-the child actually looked a little miserable.

And then, as if the feeling of his sensei's gaze on him drew his eyes up from the intricate mosaic of tiny pebbles, Kakashi lifted his head up to look at Minato. Their eyes connected for a split second and then the white-haired boy quickly slid his shadowed orbs down to look at the sand again.

A slow sigh moved through the child, lifting his shoulders briefly, only to leave them slouching even more than they were before.

Minato frowned, his eyes narrowing as the firm resolution that something was wrong washed over him, leaving him concerned and confused.

This wasn't normal-even for Kakashi, who could be frequently described by the words uninterested, reserved, and removed.

Feeling a distinct pull in his chest towards the little, dark-clothed figure on the crowded beach, Minato turned back around to face the crashing waves. Going right up to the Hatake and asking him what was bothering him was a sure-fire way to get the kid to clam up. Kakashi didn't do well with confrontation when it didn't involve potentially lethal situations and volley of sharpened kunai.

Minato bent his knees and laid the flat of his palms over the smooth surface of the clear, sparkling water. No, if he wanted to find out what was going on in that genius brain of his, then he would need to approach the situation carefully.

He splashed some cool water over himself and rubbed the chilled salt water over his arms and chest, threading his damp fingers through his blonde hair, tousling it. There, maybe if he came to their spot on the beach dripping wet Kakashi wouldn't suspect that he had just spent the last five minutes thinking up a plan that would get the Hatake to tell him what was wrong.

The lengths he went to for this kid...

When he trudged back up the beach, he plopped down onto one of the beach towels laid out next to Kakashi.

"Ah," he leaned back with a satisfied sigh, propping himself up with his elbow, "Look at that kid making a sand-castle over there, you'd think he was getting paid."

He chuckled, grabbing his water-bottle and tilting his head back to take a long drink.

"Ever made a sand-castle before?"

Kakashi shook his head slowly, staring expressionlessly at his lap, and Minato got the feeling that Kakashi was avoiding looking at him.

For someone who didn't know the young Hatake, it was easy to miss the boy's reactions. Kakashi was so tightly wound, he had such a crushing grip on his self-control, that, unlike everyone else, it was the boy's _lack _of a reaction that served as the tell for when something was bothering him. A stiffened spine instead of a scream, a glazed look instead of a spark of fear-it was no wonder that others thought the child emotionless and cool when every indication otherwise was quickly smothered by the boy's rigid self-control.

But, somehow, Minato knew it was all an act. Maybe he was just one of the few people that bothered to actually pay attention, but he just couldn't agree with the general assumption that Sakumo Hatake's disgraced, orphaned son wasn't capable of feeling.

Minato was jolted out of his musings by the sound of Kakashi's voice, softer than usual.

"Sensei..."

He sat up and turned all of his attention towards the boy, feeling a little surprised that Kakashi was going to reveal what was wrong to him without any prompting on his own part.

"What is it, Kakashi-kun?"

Kakashi glanced up at him, and Minato could see that his dark eyes were squinted slightly over the dark material of his mask. The expression was hard to read, it was somewhere between fearful and anxious. Apprehensive? No, uncertain.

Kakashi's uncertain gaze fell back down again, his long lashes casting curved shadows over his masked cheeks under the bright sun.

Minato suddenly felt the strong urge to hug him, but he settled for resting his arm against the boy's back and laying his loose hand over the back of Kakashi's curved skull. He gave the fluffy head a little shake, tilting his own slightly.

"Hey, what's going on?"

When Kakashi's only answer was a subtle tensing under his hand, Minato sighed and let go. Screw it, indirect or direct-the approach didn't matter. If Kakashi was going to tell him what was going on inside that stubborn little head of his-it would only be because Kakashi wanted to.

"Kakashi, I know that there's something that's bothering you." he said the abrupt words as gently as possible, "But I can't help you if you won't let me in."

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably in the sand, repositioning his legs from either side of him to a cross-legged position. He glanced shyly at Minato's knee, apparently unable to lift his gaze any higher, and mumbled something quietly.

"Hmm?" Minato inwardly winced, hating himself for making the boy repeat whatever it was he had said so timidly.

"I..." Kakashi finally looked up to him, and the cutting mixture of shame and fear and embarrassment he saw in the boy's eyes was enough to make his heart clench.

"I don't know how to swim."

It would have been funny.

It would have been funny if it were anyone else-if it wasn't Kakashi looking up into Minato's face like he had just told him a guilty secret, like he had did something wrong and was waiting to be reprimanded or ridiculed.

Like Minato's love for him might be swept away by this infinitesimal admission of weakness.

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

_The end of this chapter makes me sad :( Poor Kakashi!_

_Anyway, here's chapter two! Please read and enjoy-hopefully it will bring back happy memories of time spent on the beach or with your family :) _

_For anyone that is wondering when I will update any of my stories next, I am sorry to inform you that I will be away from all things electronic for the next week and a half because I'm heading out into the wilderness where there is no plumbing, much less any electricity. But, rest assured, I fully intend to post new chapters for all my stories (including Nostalgia, even though those chapters always end up so very very long) as soon as I can when I get back. I'm pretty excited-this whole writing new stories for once thing is actually really helping with my writers block lol! Yay!_

_Reviews are always appreciated, so feel free to share your opinion :)_

_Thanks for reading!_

~Flinty


	3. Chapter 3

...

SafeHouse

...

...

Kakashi bit his lip and stared _hard._ He looked fiercely towards the scruffy little birds scuttling away from the crashing waves before him with unseeing eyes as a pair of strong, lean arms wrapped themselves around him. A warm palm pressed against his temple and cradled the side of his face to the smooth, wet skin of Minato's chest.

Kakashi stiffened.

His mind was a blank slate of forced indifference. All of the shame, self-loathing, and horror he felt at what he had just said roiled sickeningly within him. He reflexively stamped down on the emotions, fighting not to let them breach the surface and reveal themselves to his sensei.

To show weakness was to lose everything he had worked for. And he'd… already… he-

Kakashi's shoulders hunched against his will, as if the act of curling into a ball could protect him from the deep pain stirring within his chest. The pressure expanded beneath his ribs, squeezing against his heart and lungs, and he felt as if the slightest movement might shatter him. He struggled to breathe evenly.

What must Minato think of him?

"Kakashi…"

_No._ His breath came rushing out in a strained, hurt-sounding gasp before he could stop it. He wasn't ready to hear this.

"I…"

Kakashi gritted his teeth and slammed his eyes closed, fighting the urge to shove his hands over his ears as well. Pale fingers curled tightly in the navy material of his sleeves and he sat there hugging himself, trembling.

Any moment now his sensei would say the words that would break down the flood-gates. And the ferocious waves of molten shame that he'd locked away for so long would wash over him- covering him with that searing burn he struggled so fiercely not to feel. The feeling that he shoved to the back of his mind every day when he walked down the village streets and everywhere he turned, every face he met was staring at him with cold eyes, unforgiving and disgusted.

Kakashi choked. Why had he even said anything at all? Why couldn't-

-His sensei spoke then-_Please no, please no_-and every muscle in Kakashi's body locked rigidly into place, paralyzed with dread.

But Minato's voice was low and gentle as it curled around Kakashi, intermingling with the strong cradle of his arms to form a steady, all-encircling warmth that replaced the pressure building up inside of him with a soft, tender heat.

"Kakashi, I'm _proud_ of you for telling me."

…

* * *

><p>...<p>

Rin trailed her fingers through the salty foam swelling around her. The bubbles fizzled away beneath the smooth skin of her palm and she giggled at the faint tickle it left behind.

Obito splashed loudly in the water behind her, crying out in childish glee as the rumbling waves broke over him.

"Ahhh!" he yelled in mock-terror, "Rin! It's coming right for you! Look out!"

She twisted around-only to have a cold slap of salty water splash her right in the face. She squealed in surprise, grinning.

"Nooooo! Rin!" Obito flailed dramatically for a moment, looking exaggeratedly distressed, "Hold on! I'll save you!"

He dived valiantly towards her, and a wild spray of glittering water splashed over her from the ferocity of his movements. She reeled back, laughing even harder.

"Don't worry I've got-"

Obito tripped over a slimy patch of seaweed and, with a loud yelp of delighted terror, collapsed upon her, knocking the both of them down to the ocean floor with a violent splash.

They shot back up to the surface, bobbing and laughing over the rumbling whoosh of the waves.

"Obito!" she pretended to chide him, the amused curve on her lips telling him she wasn't really angry. He grinned widely at her, his black eyes sparkling.

Why didn't sensei have good ideas like this more often?

Rin couldn't think of a time when she had enjoyed herself more.

Everything around her was a rushing, bright world of overwhelming beauty that splashed and sparkled. Even the gulls seemed to squawk happily as they dipped and dived over the cresting waves, gliding over her head with a joyful flap of their salt-sprinkled feathers.

To her, it felt like the ocean was celebrating.

And, Rin felt it was almost as if the ocean wanted them to join in the celebration too.

She glanced sideways at Obito, who had thrown himself farther out into the rising waves again, and she knew, as she listened to his enthusiastic "war-cry", that he felt it too.

Everyone had joined in on the dance-everyone, that is, but Kakashi.

Rin turned, letting a foamy white wave crash over her back and shoulders, and scanned the crowded beach for Kakashi.

She found him perched on the corner of their too-large beach-towel, hunched over and hugging himself, looking unexplainably pitiful and, in some strange way, adorable.

But that wasn't too much of a surprise; Rin _always_ thought the Hatake boy looked adorable.

He was staring at some indeterminate spot further down the beach, his grey eyes blank but missing their usual bored, half-lidded glare. The hazy orange light of the retreating sun set his tufty white hair aglow; and, as the flowing breeze blew over him, he looked like a lost, little angel. Lonely and impossibly sad.

A sudden, overwhelming desire to run out of the water and sit down beside him spilled over Rin-her arms ached to hold him.

But, before she could so much as begin to consider it-Minato-sensei beat her to it.

She watched as her sensei scooted closer to her teammate, reached out with his long, tan arms, and pulled the boy snugly to his chest.

Rin's eyes widened in shock. Did that just happen?

"Hey, Rin-chan." Obito's voice interrupted the confused jumble of her thoughts, "Catch!"

She turned around reflexively, still dazed in surprise at what she'd just seen, and-

-A mushy, slimy something connected with her face with a loud, resounding _splat_. Obito collapsed into gurgled giggles.

Rin screamed.

"Aaaiiiee!" she flailed about blindly in the water, shrieking, "Obito! Get it off!"

He made his way over to her, still clutching his stomach in laughter, and tried to peel the offending sea-creature off of his teammate's face.

"Ow!" he winced when Rin's wild thrashing limbs batted him on the ear, "Hold still, Rin-chan, I think it has suction cups and-"

"_Obitooo_!"

"Kidding! Kidding." He shook his head to himself, grinning slightly as he carefully gathered the rest of the slimy animal into his hands, "It's just a star-fish."

"Just a-" Rin staggered backwards in shock, interrupting herself, "-You threw a starfish!" she accused.

Obito giggled and held out the poor, dazed animal to her, looking more proud than he had any right to be.

"You don't throw animals, Obito-kun…" Rin mumbled wearily, but stepped closer to inspect the captive creature. She ran her finger over its golden, pebbly skin softly.

"Ooh, he's squishy!"

Obito let out a delighted trill of laughter, looking up at her over their shared pet, his black eyes squinted and glittering with mirth.

"Let's toss him at Kakashi!"

Rin's eyes widened in surprised anger, and her mouth opened to rebuke him, but he cut her off.

"I know! I know what you're gonna say," he grinned cheekily, "Don't throw anything fun and exciting at Kakashi. It might fry his hard-drive."

"Obito!" Rin frowned, genuinely upset, "Don't talk about him that way. It's not nice!"

The Uchiha's eyebrows raised and lowered in a quick expression that clearly said, _Well it's true_, but he did turn his face away from his teammate's disapproving stare.

"… And I don't think it'd be good for the starfish to be carried onto the beach anyway." She added, feeling a little bad for the closed off, sullen expression on Obito's face. He turned back to her, and his usual look of bright, perpetually amused curiosity was back on his face.

"What are you talking about, Rin?" he asked, and then pointed to a spot directly behind her on the beach, "Look, Kakashi's coming into the ocean with sensei now."

She whirled around in surprise.

Sure enough, Kakashi had stood up from his spot on the colorful beach-towel and was now standing next to Minato-sensei, who was looking down at the boy and grinning happily.

The Hatake boy seemed to gather his determination, and then, in a swift movement that had Rin's cheeks blushing faintly, he reached back and tugged his shirt off over his head. It dropped to a messy pile at his feet and, with an unreadable glance up at their teacher, to which Minato-sensei smiled back encouragingly, Kakashi started walking through the sand towards the rumbling ocean.

A flurry of excitement whisked through her. Kakashi was coming into the water to play with them!

Rin watched, with growing anticipation, as her teacher and her teammate advanced slowly towards them. She turned to Obito, her face bright with delight.

"He's coming into the ocean!"

"Hmph..." Obito rolled his eyes dismissively, "Great."

But Rin, so caught up in the joy of having her reclusive teammate finally joining them, failed to catch onto his sarcasm.

Kakashi never associated with them unless it was under the parameters of a mission. And even then, he was often inclined to take matters into his own hands and act out on his own than take advantage of the two able-bodied warriors-in-training on his usually didn't bother Rin too much, because it was clear that his skill-set was so far above anything that she could supply that she knew that she would just be a hindrance. It only really bothered her when he put himself into dangerous situations without them. But it always made Minato-sensei angry and was a constant source of discord between her teacher and her white-haired teammate.

But, to have Kakashi freely decide to participate in a moment of "childish behavior" was, to Rin, truly a dream come true.

She knew, as she watched the young Hatake make his way to the edge of the beach next to Minato-sensei, that her expression was ridiculously eager and excited-but she couldn't help it! She was just so happy!

"Kakashi-kun!" she called out cheerfully to him from the cresting waves, waving her arm brightly, "Come on in!"

And, as his fair face, uncovered by any obstructive clothing, turned up to look at her, his beautiful features magnified by the wild nature around him-Rin knew, this beach trip was the best idea that Minato-sensei had ever had.

...

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_Whoo! Chapter Three! Kakashi's such a cutie-pie. I really wanna give him some adorable little baby floaties, but he would probably kill me if I tried..._

_Anyway, hopefully this wasn't too boring for you guys-I've had some reviews saying that they missed my old, descriptive style of writing so I'm trying to find a healthy balance :) And don't worry! The next chapter should have more action in it!_

_Thanks, as always, for reading! And please feel free to review and let me know what you think :)_

_Thanks again!_

_~Flinty_


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